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79
would be worth accepting. On the other hand, if the fee
is made any higher it will be impossible to get the parents
to avail themselves of the facilities offered.
Also that an advertisement be issued asking for a price
from residents in the district for supplying and fitting
specified spectacles, quoting nature of glasses and supplying
sample of frame, to any school child submitted by this
authority."
To meet the cases where the parents are unable to pay
the money down, I suggest that a voluntary fund of some
sort be established upon which I can draw without delay
to .advance the money to the parent in suitable cases. In
most instances the money to be repaid by suitable weekly
instalments. The collection of which I can make arrangements
for with the assistance of the Health Visitor.
To illustrate what I mean, perhaps I may quote a case
existing at the present time —A woman has three children
with defective eyesight; she manages to take them to a
hospital, glasses are prescribed at a cost of 13/6, and the
woman cannot afford this outlay. Practically nothing will
be done unless help is afforded, but I have little doubt that
the money could be collected weekly. In some cases it may
not be possible to get any of the money back, but, as far
as I can judge at present, these cases will be very few.
This scheme explains how it is proposed to deal with
these cases. It has been approved by the Board of Education
and the Education Committee, so I trust the advertise
ment will now shortly be issued and the plan put into
working order. During the latter part of 1909 money was